Holding Ground
A three day nor’easter had kept all boats in all harbors and at the tail end of the storm, I headed over to Spruce Head to see how they had made out.
With still plenty of opportunity for something to go wrong, there was a modest assembly of trucks with guys just hanging out, smoking and drinking…watching the fleet, covering each others’ backs.
It’s at moments like this that you pray…or something. You hope that all of the attention you’ve paid to your ground tackle will reward you with a boat still there in the morning. Having watched my own boat ride out a number of winter storms has made me, like everyone in a similar situation, intensely aware of the “weakest link” factor.
The title refers to those places where the bottom is good, where ones boat will be safe and where the anchor or mooring will not drag. In a wholly secular sense, it speaks directly to the matter of faith and hope, not to mention preparedness and the need to look out for each other…..the very stuff from which community is woven.
